ISEA's Excellence in Education Award celebrates educators who go above and beyond

DES MOINES, IA (11/12/2013)(readMedia)-- Elizabeth Hansen, an English teacher, theater and speech coach at Grinnell High School, was nominated for the 2013 Excellence in Education Award. The award is sponsored by the Iowa State Education Association which represents over 34,000 professional educators throughout the state. Now in its 14th year, the Excellence in Education award seeks nominations for educators who have made a difference in the lives of Iowa's students.

"This award is truly about recognizing the educators who work hard on a daily basis and rarely get the recognition they so richly deserve," said Tammy Wawro, president of the ISEA. The nominations we receive are a testament to the dedication and compassion Iowa educators have for their students and the communities in which they live. Clearly Iowa educators go above and beyond to help shape and, in many cases, to help change the lives of the students they teach."

This year, the ISEA received over 60 nominations. The winner of the 2013 Excellence in Education Award is Heather Anderson, an elementary teacher from Cowles Elementary School in Des Moines. Anderson will receive a $1,000 check courtesy of the ISEA. There are also four runners-up who include; John Baker, a community college instructor from Scott Community College in Bettendorf; Beth Fetweiss, a high school English teacher from City High School in Iowa City; Melinda Orris, a social studies teacher from Maquoketa Middle School; and Sarah Wessels, a special education teacher from the Coulter Alexander Latimer (C-A-L) School District in Latimer.

Excellence in Education Award winners and nominees will be celebrated at an awards banquet Monday, November 18, 2013, at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines.

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The ISEA is a professional organization made up of more than 34,000 educators who are dedicated to supporting and protecting a quality education for all Iowa students. Great Education...It's an Iowa Basic!